Page 101 of Midnight Sanctuary

“He’s gone. He’s fuckinggone.”

I twist around, turning my back on the window, furious that I camethisgoddamn close, only to have Sobakin slip through my fingers. That’s when I notice the man cowering in the corner of the room beside the door, his face drenched with sweat, his leg clearly broken and bent in a way that legs are not supposed to bend.

I walk over to him and point my gun in his face. “No! No. Please! Don’t kill me. I can give you information!” Frothy spit flies out of his mouth as he talks.

“This better be worth my while,” I glower down at him. “Go on. You have ten seconds.”

“H-h-he g-got a call. Right before you showed up. He locked himself in this room and got one of the men to bring the car around to the forest entrance. I-I didn’t know why until… until we were attacked.”

“So he was warned. I could’ve told you that myself.” I raise my gun and shoot the son of a bitch in the face before he can beg for his life. Then I walk outside to the lingering carnage of the fight.

Dominik is standing outside the house, taking down Sobakin’s men execution-style one by one. I have to respect apakhanwho handles the dirty work himself. He turns to me, blood and sweat smearing his face. “Well?”

“He escaped. He was warned.”

Dominik’s eyes narrow and he points out the soot-stained runt being restrained by two of his soldiers. “If you have any questions for Artur Agapov, I’d ask them now.”

I shake my head. “Sobakin was using Artur. He wouldn’t have trusted him with anything. Kill him.”

Dominik shrugs and points for his men to do as I said. I don’t even bother to watch as Artur swallows his last breath, followed by the bullet that steals it from him.

“This isn’t over,” I tell Dominik. “Not until Sobakin is dead. You’ll get your money after it’s done.”

Dominik just nods, the bloodlust still churning in his eyes as he turns towards the line of soon-to-be dead men and resumes his bloody work.

Dimiv emerges from the house a few moments later. He’s on the phone with someone but he hangs up as he runs towards me. “I got word from my contact in Russia. It looks like Elena Chernoff and her son are bound for the States.”

“He’s bringing them home?”

“Sure seems that way.”

I nod. “Then he’s going to try and meet up with them at some point.” My jaw clenches. I’m more determined now than ever. “He’s going to fuck up soon. And I’m going to be there to take advantage.”

“What about this place?” Dimiv asks, jerking a thumb at the bullet-riddled house behind us.

“Burn it and everyone in it to the ground.” I turn towards my jeep. “Move out!” I order my men. “We’re done here.”

Just as I get into my vehicle, a call comes in.Nikolai. “What’s going on?” I ask urgently. He wouldn’t call unless it was important.

“Brother, it’s Alyssa. Grigory just did another scan and… you better get here soon. She needs you.”

46

ALYSSA

I’m crying when Uri walks in.

“Oh my god, Uri! What happened?” I yelp. “Are you alright?” He’s covered in sweat and ash and dried blood. Suddenly, it feels trivial to be sitting safely in a hospital bed and crying about my latest scan.

He grabs my hand and brings it to his lips. “Forget about me. Areyoualright?”

I shake my head. “There’s blood on your arm.”

“Don’t worry. It’s not mine.”

I shudder. “You’re not hurt?”

“It takes more than a couple dozen spineless cowards to hurt Uri Bugrov,” he growls. “Now, tell me, why are you crying?”

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